Balance Café West Tipperary Town MHA Mental Health Week 2010

On the 10^thOctober 2010 the West Tipperary Mental Health Association (WTMHA) launched their activities for Mental Health Week which featured the opening of a health café called Balance. The celebrations commenced in St. Michael’s Church with the Tipperary and Portlaoise Gospel Choirs and continued after a lively service with a Siege of Ennis on the street followed by Chalk it Down for positive mental health. The focus of this event was to encourage everyone attending on the day to chalk out an X on the ground in various colours, highlighting the need to remove the stigma attached to mental health difficulties.

In the afternoon the Mad Hatters Children’s party included fun and games, arts and crafts and a disco. The event was enjoyed by all children who attended.  Following the successful launch of Balance Café on World Mental Health Day, a vision by Libby Carew (Pro WTMHA), the week went from strength to strength concluding with Frances Black and the Swish Night in Tipperary Town Centre. 

Balance Café aimed to provide a social setting where people of all ages could avail of a cup of coffee, chat and a variety of events throughout Mental Health Week.  The focus of the café was to promote positive health and well-being through the arts which included music, drama, film and TV production, art therapy, pottery, weaving, card making and laughter yoga, all of which were free of charge.  Balance Café also provided events which addressed many aspects of health promotion including talks by professionals and a large selection of literature was also available within the café.

From Monday 11^th to Friday 15^th the Balance Café opened each day from 10am to 10pm and later. Libby Carew and Paul Kelly (café curators) were assisted daily by members of West Tipperary Mental Health Association, work colleagues and Transition Year students from the Abbey Secondary School Tipperary Town. The Balance Café project was made possible due to the generosity and good will of local business people, the Tipperary Community and Media. The premises were provided by local businessman Noel O’Dea free of charge for three weeks.

On Monday 11^th October Tipperary Mid-West Radio complemented events by broadcasting live from Balance Café window capturing the attention of all in the vicinity, interviewing participants in the café and running competitions. The Radio station kindly gave WTMHA air time each morning for a live interview before the opening of the café to promote the events of each day.

Monday was action-packed with music workshops, drama, film and television production and locals calling in for a chat or to play cards, board games, xbox or watch a movie from the A la Carte movie menu.  Monday evening featured the Men’s Health Night which was facilitated by various professionals and included all topics of Men’s Health.  Brian Howard, CEO Mental Health Ireland, was in attendance as was Alan Quinlan, who has recently become patron of Mental Health Ireland. On Monday Balance Café provided a variety of services to over 250 visitors.

Tuesday commenced with the second Music Workshop in preparation for the Concert with Frances Black on the Thursday Night. The talents of the artists left many who were enjoying a cup of tea in awe. The music workshops were facilitated by local artist Fran and Pat Marnane.  Fran Holds a Masters in Community Music. Drama, Film and TV workshops were facilitated by Paul Kelly and enjoyed by pupils from local schools. With the theme of open house laid out for Tuesday people enjoyed reading the paper over a cuppa while others played cards, board games, or competed on the x-box. Tuesday evening Balance hosted Open House Music Song and Poetry which was enjoyed by all in attendance from ages 12 to 92.  

Wednesday saw yet again a variety of workshops and callers just coming and enjoying the nice space and place to be.  On Wednesday evening an LGBT workshop was facilitated by Lisa McGrath with an informative discussion on Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender people. The evening was very informal and very well attended.

On Thursday card-making was the highlight of the morning with many calling in to make hand-made cards for birthdays and special occasions for friends and loved ones. Drama continued in the afternoon with students and members of the community. Thursday night was most definitely the highlight of the Week which commenced with a Health Talk on recovery by Frances Black in St. Mary’s Church and was followed by a concert with Balance Café Artists from the music workshops held during the week as well the Tipperary Gospel Choir led by Margi Maxwell.

Friday focused on Art Therapy facilitated by two local art therapists Gerry Carew and Marion Clarke. A community art piece was created where all visitors were invited to leave their mark and express their own personal feelings on positive health either through written word or images using a variety of mediums from paint, pastels, charcoal and water colour. The finished piece is currently being further transformed into an art piece with the theme 1 in 4.  The evening saw the close of Balance Café where the premises was transformed into a ladies drapery shop selling upmarket, new and almost new designer fashion kindly donated by the interested public to help the fund raising efforts of WTMHA.  This fun evening with the theme of Are You Being Served featured committee members clad as Captain Peacock, Old Mr Grace and Mrs Slocum.

WTMHA’s spokesperson Libby Carew wishes to extend sincere thanks to Mental Health Ireland, Doggett Print and Design and to the community of Tipperary Town for all their support “the association enjoyed the challenge of Balance Café”. Libby attributed the success of the week to “unparalleled community spirit and the joining together of people in true community participation”. She further added, “the inclusion and participation of Transition Year students from the Abbey School made this week most enjoyable and enlightening”.  One Transition Year student commented, “Every town in Ireland would benefit from such a Health Café which includes all age groups and people from all walks of life. It increases our understanding of each other and encourages us to think outside the box”. This young man’s comment summed up the views of West Tipperary Mental Health Association. 

More photos from West Tipperary Town MHA's Mental Health Week 2010 celebrations:

Men's Health Night (from L to R): Brian Howard, CEO Mental Health Ireland; Billy Bourke, Mayor; Libby Carew; Alan Quinlan; Martin Quinn, Chairman WTMHA, Catherine Long, Dr Alan Moore, Consultant Psychiatrist.

 Health Talk on Recovery by Frances Black

Chalk It Down

  Art Therapy: Leave Your Mark